A step towards a uniting the UK MMA scene and maybe a governing body....

I responded with the below to a thread on the Pro MMA discussion, but its home should really be here:

well...we all talk about tidying up the sport loads so I think some action needs to be taken, collectively. I posted some stuff on a governing body thread last year and have spoken with lots of different people to decide a 'way forward' for UK MMA. we're all very passionate about it and everyone has slightly different ideas, but that shouldn't stop the sport evolving.

I am proposing over the coming weeks to set out a sort of pro forma for how we would all like to see MMA promotions run; consider all the little issues that fighters, referees and promoters squabble about- weigh ins not being witnessed, fighters purse, difference in rules between promotions, submission of results, medical preparation and participation, hand wrapping...everything really. If we collectively adhere to an informal guideline and it becomes successful then maybe someone or an organisation, even the British Boxing Board of Control may look at UK MMA and see that we are all trying to clear up all the disparities. Furthermore, we may even have fewer reasons to sit on here and moan or acccuse a promoter about ambiguous rules/ match making etc.

I am happy collect the information and try to press this forward, but please be gentle with me and remember i'm just a fighter and spectator like the rest of you! Please PM me if you're interested in participating ie adding your thoughts about certain key points. I'm trying to structure a document which may take some time, but we've got to start somewhere. I am not attempting an individual crusade here and I wont pretend to know as much as the next person. And this certainly will not work unless fighters in particular buy into the idea.

The only way this sport will become recognised as a sport is if a national governing body is formed, this will then stop any tom dick an harry from starting up fight promotions chassing the dollar rather than putting the fighters first. This would ensure all promotions are sanctioned and also provide adeqate insuarance for fighters an promotions. However if this is not put in place rather soon i can see disaster striking , like it or not sum1 is going to die or suffer a long term injury from competing and when this happens if a governing body is not set in place british law will have a field day and probally end up banning mma and forceing it to go under ground this is what none of us want to see.

................. also provide adeqate insuarance for fighters an promotions.....................

As many of you know i run the Cobra Martial Arts Association (which is a National group)

With regards to the above sorry guys but the none of the insurance companies i have spoken to, TL Risk (Towry Law) and Perkins Slade for example will cover competing in MMA so you could be onto a loser from that point.

However fighters can of course take out their own personal injury policies which can cost between £150 and £200 each per year.

Thanks to those have recently posted...it took a while to get messages back etc. I am unknown on the UK MMA scene, so I'm finding it pretty difficult to get people to listen. However, this certainly wont stop me, so I've started to offer myself as a commentator on MMA shows which has led me to train and meet new teams, promotors etc, so my networking base is growing. I am building the framework gradually and learning along the way. There are others out there doing similar things and I've tried contacting them, but to no avail. I truely believe we need to pull together to avoid duplication and bolster our effort in a common goal.

On the note of insurance, yes Andy I understand your point, but in order to the insurance business to underwrite the risk of our sport I think we need to demonstrate our ability to control the negatives and promote the positives. Without mentioning any names, would you as a business underwrite or provide insurance for a martial arts show that have a name which basically shouts "extreme, brutal violence"?? the general publics understanding of MMA is poor, and the posters they see for events often lead them to assume the worst. More and more people I meet from ligitamate fight teams are pissed off with inconsiderate promotion that isn't helping with the longevity of UK MMA, so I think everybody wants to tighten things up its just how. I'll carry on with my framework idea and ask for input from everyone who wants it to happen. Ignore the obstacles and negatives for now and lets gets the ball rolling.